Taiwan has the recipe for cooking up food-themed events in Covid times

Taiwan recently concluded the 2021 Food Taipei Mega Shows from 22-25 December, connecting some 16,000 attendees with 471 exhibitors — also demonstrating how food-themed events can happen safely in a post-Covid environment.

A total of five shows related to the global food industry's supply chain ran concurrently: Food Taipei, Foodtech Taipei, Bio/Pharmatech Taiwan, Taipei Pack, Taiwan HORECA (Hotel, Restaurant & Catering Show) at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Hall 2 (TaiNEX 2).

The shows together welcomed a total of 471 exhibitors hosting 1,120 booths. Fifteen national pavilions were also featured, including those belonging to Taiwan, the US, Japan, South Korea, as well as Lithuania — which made its debut at the expo.

Due to borders that remain shut, a majority of visitors were domestic (98%). And while overseas visitors consisted mainly of foreign delegates based in Taiwan, international demand was still evident, with the top markets being the US, Japan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore.

So how were the eating and drinking aspects managed at the five events?

According to organiser Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), with the internal Covid-19 situation "still controlled quite well", masks could be taken down for sampling, but only at the booths. Eating while walking is still not allowed.

The spokesperson from TAITRA also credited experience from earlier food shows that helped shape the planning, event content and delivery of the 2021 Food Taipei Mega Shows.

When Taiwan faced an uptick in infected Covid-19 cases in May, venue capacity was capped at 40% right up until October 2021. This meant that while food events like the 2021 Kaohsiung Food Show in October could carry on, no eating and drinking were allowed.

With the situation stabilised, Taiwan currently allows events to go on with no limits but with Covid-safe measures still in place, including at the 2021 Food Taipei Mega Shows.

TAITRA also noted a clear indicator from attendees: in-person networking is still the preferred modus operandi.

A virtual platform was offered for the Kaohsiung Food Show, at an earlier digital edition of Food Taipei Mega Shows in 2021, as well as at this most recent event in December. However, the online component was not a big hit.

"Although digital solutions are advanced, exhibitors and visitors feedback that they still prefer in-person interactions, they aren't used to virtual techniques, especially for food-related exhibitions," said the TAITRA spokesperson.